Joining with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Washington proposes a renewal of the predoctoral training program in biostatistics that emphasizes applications to mental health. The trainees will pursue Ph.D. degrees in the Department of Biostatistics. This training program will be co-directed by Xiao-Hua (Andrew) Zhou, Ph.D., a Professor in the Department of Biostatistics, and Wayne Katon, M.D., a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Zhou will provide oversight and direction for the training program, and he will serve as biostatistics director, while Dr. Katon will serve as mental health director. The faculty members associated with the Biostatistics in Mental Health training program include both biostatistics and mental health preceptors from the Departments of Biostatistics, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Psychology, Health Services, Medicine, and Epidemiology. The biostatistics preceptors will provide methodological and other statistical advice to trainees while the mental health preceptors will provide research-project related advice to trainees. In addition to formal courses in biostatistics taught by international experts n statistical methods, the training program features the following means to provide trainees with mental health content training:(1) taking formal courses on mental health from a list of 12 elective courses in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Psychology and Epidemiology (two must be selected for the fellowship), (2) by interacting with mental health preceptors and mental health fellows in weekly Mental Health Research and Biostatistics Seminars and yearly Mental Health Biostatistics Symposiums, (3) working as research assistants with one of the mental health preceptors in related research projects, (4) meeting regularly with the Director and Co-director to discuss mental health and statistical issues, and (5) regularly attending weekly grand rounds in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Medical Sciences, mental health research in particular, is becoming increasingly quantitative. Many major advances in medical science are being made possible by the development and application of new statistical methodologies. This training grant will support highly talented students in the Departments of Biostatistics and ensure that they are trained to lead such development and application in mental health related research.